OFF TO FLYER
Willock maintains great start for 10-man Rangers
BIG BROTHER Chris Willock showed watching sibling Joe he is a star too as 10-man QPR shocked Middlesbrough.
Willock grabbed a late winner to cap a remarkable second-half comeback by the visitors.
The 23-year-old slotted home 14 minutes from time to send Mark Warburton’s men joint top, having also triggered QPR’s recovery with a brilliant assist for Lyndon Dykes.
Willock’s kid brother Joe was in the stands to see his heroics after making the journey down the A19 from Newcastle, who signed him last week.
QPR played the last 40 minutes a man down but still out-manoeuvred
Neil Warnock’s side.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, they scored twice and had a man sent off in eight chaotic minutes.
Rangers were then pegged back at 2-2 beforeWillock struck with a calm left-footed finish.
Boro led on seven minutes in front of a Riverside reverberating with noise, new boy Uche Ikpeazu smashing a penalty down the middle after Dael Fry was fouled by Dykes.
Lee Wallace then overlapped down the left before driving in a cross that Boro’s Jonny Howson smashed past his own keeper.
QPR were left fuming on 50 minutes when Moses Odubajo, above, was sent off. He tangled with Isaiah Jones, causing him to fall just outside the box. Referee Stephen Martin awarded a foul and handed out Odubajo’s second booking, enraging boss Warburton. But he was happier six minutes later when Dykes crashed in a volley.
Jones, though, was a pest all night and robbed Dominic Ball on the edge of the box before finding Matt Crooks in space.
Crooks had the time to ping the ball into the top corner of the net from 18 yards to set up the grandstand finish.
At this rate hard-running Willock will follow his brother to the Premier League, showing all the goal qualities his seven-in-arow sibling displayed last season.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-2-3-1): Lumley 5; Dijksteel 6, Hall 6, Fry 7, Bola 6; Howson 5, McNair 7; Spence 6 (Payero 86), Crooks 7, Jones 7; Ikpeazu 7 (Akpom 71). Goals:
Ikpeazu 7 pen, Crooks 72.
QPR (3-4-1-2): Dieng 7; Dickie 7, De Wijs 7, Barbet 7; Odubajo 5, Ball 6, Johansen 6, Wallace 6 (Dunne 86); Chair 6 (Kakay 57, 6); Dykes 7 (Austin 67, 6), Willock 8. Goals: Howson 48 og, Dykes 56, Willock 76. Sent off:
Odubajo 50.